It is well known that hair conditioning compositions are desired by consumers because of their ability to minimize fly away, static charge, and tangling of the hair, and also because they soften hair and facilitate combing. Typically, hair conditioning formulations contain, as an active ingredient, a quaternary ammonium compound in which the molecular structure includes a nitrogen joined to four organic groups (i.e., the cation) and a negatively charged acid radical (i.e., the anion). For example, a particularly desirable active agent in hair conditioning compositions is stearalkonium chloride (C.sub.27 H.sub.50 NCl), of the following formula: ##STR1##
Despite the conditioning attributes provided by stearalkonium chloride, it has proven to be very difficult in practice to implement stearalkonium chloride in hair conditioning compositions because of the drawbacks associated therewith. For example, stearalkonium chloride is susceptible to precipitation in conventional hair conditioning formulations, thereby causing an undesirable "pearlized effect." In this respect, while conventional stearalkonium chloride-containing hair conditioning compositions may have a creamy appearance initially and be aesthetically pleasing to consumers, over a period of weeks (depending upon storage and temperature conditions) stearalkonium chloride crystallizes out and the appearance of the composition deteriorates and becomes more pearly. The pearly appearance is itself undesirable to consumers. The inconsistency in appearance (even from one bottle to the next) exhibited by these conventional stearalkonium chloride-containing hair conditioning compositions is especially undesirable and troubling to consumers.
The pearlizing effect also adversely affects the selected color of tinted hair conditioners. For example, if the hair conditioning composition is initially colored (e.g., red or pink), over time the composition will appear to have faded since the white background is modified by virtue of the pearlizing effect. This perception of color fading also negatively impacts the consumer. Heretofore, it has proven to be very difficult to provide a stearalkonium chloride-containing hair conditioning composition in which the stearalkonium chloride does not precipitate such that the composition maintains a relatively consistent appearance and/or color over time.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that there exists a need in the art for a stearalkonium chloride-containing hair conditioning composition that does not suffer from the undesirable pearlizing effect and whose appearance and color remain stable over time. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a hair conditioning composition that achieves these needs. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.